HHH: 3 LGBTQ Things You Need to Know for May 18, 2018

Today’s Happy Hour Headlines: a pro athlete coming out — in China … the teen who defended his moms to the Iowa legislature is now running for a seat there, and … which Star Wars character is pansexual?

What Would Mao Say

Chinese pro surfer Xu Jingsen has come out to become the nation’s first openly gay athlete. (according to Outsports).

As reported by Outsports, Xu (also known as ‘A Sam,’ as he’s called by International Federation of Gay Games) came out on Weibo, the Chinese social media network.

To both translate and paraphrase, A Sam posted the following: “Hello everyone! I am A Sam. I will attend the global Gay Games in Paris, France, in August this year and serve as an ambassador. Coming out is the ultimate measure of our inner courage. Yes, I am gay. We have the right to choose who to love and how to be loved. Gender, age, and skin color are not an embarrassment. We all live under the same sun. Today, I bravely live my truth, and I regard it as the best gift bestowed upon me. If my courage can bring comfort to those who feel lonely and helpless, and encourage everyone to support equality, then everything I do will make more sense. Thank you friends!”

Of course, the Gay Games couldn’t be happier to have representation from one of the most populous countries on the planet — and one not particularly welcoming to the LGBTQ community. Their response: “The Gay Games Ambassadors are an international group of prominent individuals supporting the goals and principles of the Gay Games. As our first Gay Games Ambassador from Asia, we are very pleased both for A Sam and for our organisation and movement. This visibility of our having a professional Chinese athlete as a Gay Games Ambassador has the potential to positively impact the lives of hundreds of thousands of LGBT+ people in mainland China, the rest of Asia and across the world.”

Zach Is Back

At 19, Zach Wahls stood up for his two Moms in front of the Idaho House of Representatives on the issue of marriage equality. He then went on to write a bestselling book, “My Two Moms: Lessons of Love, Strength, and What Makes a Family.” Along with his sister, Wahls created “The Woman Cards,” a deck of playing cards featuring 15 original, hand-drawn portraits of American women who changed the world.

As a former Eagle Scout, Wahls was also part of the successful effort to convince the Boy Scouts to drop their ban on gays in the program. In 2012, he spoke at the Democratic National Convention where Barack Obama was nominated for a second term. Now he’s on his own in a primary campaign for the Iowa state senate. His will be a race to watch, given that he’s up for the Iowa Senate District 37 seat currently occupied by retiring Democrat Bob Dvorsky. The primary is slated for June 5.

And, just to refresh your memory, here is the incredibly poised speech that went viral moments after he made it in 2011.

Murphy’s law

It worked for Will & Grace, Full House, Roseanne and One Day at A Time. Now Murphy Brown is returning to the CBS airwaves in the fall. Here’s a first look at what you can expect (as well as a whole new generation of cameos as Murphy tries to find the right office assistant).